tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75581654067942596752024-02-19T07:00:42.988-08:00Our Generations: Father & Son Record ReviewsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger161125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-9818134100031362722017-05-09T10:41:00.004-07:002017-05-09T10:41:55.631-07:00"Headhunters" by Herbie Hancock (October, 1973)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQ_2kNge5-8DDS_H_D-NJPhwnvl9lALDHRtYTZf1Iu6UnCX4MABYe1WfDnChlQosmfyqTyeNvginqV0iLNdNSCYBVqE_6Lph6ohceSsJM_8-RsubR5LQRLg7II08iHXlrU8xXYiKmgKYK/s1600/220px-Head_Hunters_Album.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQ_2kNge5-8DDS_H_D-NJPhwnvl9lALDHRtYTZf1Iu6UnCX4MABYe1WfDnChlQosmfyqTyeNvginqV0iLNdNSCYBVqE_6Lph6ohceSsJM_8-RsubR5LQRLg7II08iHXlrU8xXYiKmgKYK/s1600/220px-Head_Hunters_Album.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
From the first throbbing bass beat, you know this is not going to be your typical jazz album. Hancock brought jazz into the 70's by adding a solid helping of funk, and the result is brilliant.<br />
<br />
There are still plenty of jazz notes, but the twin infusion of funky backbeats and electronic synths add a level of fun that drew me in immediately. Even if the six-note bass beat of the first track, "Chameleon," does start to feel repetitive, there's so much going on behind it that the song does not get dull, even clocking in at 15 minutes. And, yes, you do eventually get a break from that beat eventually. About when you really want a change, the song shifts to another funky breakdown in the next movement. "Chameleon makes me think of a jazzier Sly & the Family Stone. Which is probably no coincidence, since the third song on this album is called "Sly," and is dedicated to Mr. Stone. I'm usually not sorry to see a 15-minute song end, but I was this time.<br />
<br />
The second cut is a reworking of Hancock's classic "Watermelon Man." It starts out with some great beer bottle blowing that imitates an African Pygmy hindewho. Yeah, I looked that up. It's not something I just knew. Until now. "Watermelon Man" feels more like an older, classical jazz song, even after Hancock imbues it with a healthy serving of funk flavors that may be more mellow than they are on the first track, but they still keep the head and neck bopping. Add in the sweet and weird sounds of that bottle, and the you get a huge pile of Amazing.<br />
<br />
Next up is "Sly," and it does remind me of my favorite funk/soul band. The album was recorded in Sly's San Francisco, so it wouldn't surprise me to learn that Mr. Stone popped his rather spaced-out head in once in a while to listen and offer his approval. Of course, I don't know if this happened, but I suppose it could have. "Sly" even reminds me of San Francisco, with its African funk, Latin rhythms, and a psychedelic undercurrent, all of which are, of course, also represented in the music of Sly & the Family Stone. The song really takes off at the six-minute mark, taking you higher until resolving in a cooler closing section.<br />
<br />
The final track is the appropriately named "Vein Melter," which starts out with a cool, mellow groove, then builds into a melodic piece of visceral jazz built around Hancock's brilliant keyboards and some cool sax. From the title, I expected something harder, but this proves that you don't have to rock hard to have your veins melted. It's spacey, gentle, with a melting coolness.<br />
<br />
I expected to like this album. I didn't expect it to be one of the favorites from our list so far. I don't remember ever listening to it start-to-finish before, but it's never too late to get hooked on a great record. These 42 minutes have been far too short.<br />
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Whenever I hear the name Herbie Hancock, I think of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G3wsusVkUM" target="_blank">this scene</a> in the 90's movie Tommy Boy starring Chris Farley. I can't recall any time where I've actually listened to Herbie Hancock, so this 90's movie reference is pretty much all I've had to go off of when it comes to this man. But after hearing this album, what a disservice! This guy rules!<br />
<br />
I'm loving this funk jazz (or jazz funk) music so much. This album is full of energy, cool solos, funky bass lines, etc. It's like he's making music for the parents AND the kids, and that's pretty darn cool!<br />
<br />
Usually when I see an album that just contains under 5 songs that are each 10+ minutes long, I get cautious, but right when I started <i>Headhunters</i>, I was all aboard! The funky bass line that immediately comes in immediately got me hooked. I wonder if it's an actual bass guitar, or if it's a synthesizer. Or maybe a mix of both? It sounds synthy to me, but I love it.<br />
<br />
The third track, ("Sly"), has some incredible playing on it. Every instrument sounds like it's being played at the fastest tempo they could go. It almost sounds like it's being fast forwarded, but you're still able to understand everything that's being played. If I had drank a Red Bull or a coffee before listening to this song, I think I would have exploded. It's so energetic and fast that it makes you want to bob your head a million miles an hour. This is probably my favorite track off the album.<br />
<br />
Overall, these 4 tracks go by way too fast and I just want to listen to this a few more times.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-11553917786443714952017-01-29T16:31:00.001-08:002017-01-29T16:31:30.767-08:00"Tales From Topographic Ocean" by Yes (December, 1973)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gGXPIgsIrT3yzUwUjxHzdxFFUOJwtSgKJC5hDAt6BwY4bvgOWqOQdwT6RQfgnREf6c_7bIrytOLdHmaURdmAchqS0fL0dfP9EitIpyW0kciwlNcTNXf-wLnY7PMYZmkXxifBJgadYFUp/s1600/Tales_from_Topographic_Oceans_%2528Yes_album%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gGXPIgsIrT3yzUwUjxHzdxFFUOJwtSgKJC5hDAt6BwY4bvgOWqOQdwT6RQfgnREf6c_7bIrytOLdHmaURdmAchqS0fL0dfP9EitIpyW0kciwlNcTNXf-wLnY7PMYZmkXxifBJgadYFUp/s1600/Tales_from_Topographic_Oceans_%2528Yes_album%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
And so we move from a rock opera to symphonic rock.<br />
<br />
I remember some great Yes songs, but what I remember most are the gatefold covers that I could easily get lost in. Yes had some of the best covers of the period. Unfortunately, my favorite Yes songs and covers come mostly before this one.<br />
<br />
This is not an easy album to write about, especially in a short-form medium like a blog. Four sides, four tracks, and a little more than 80 minutes of music. What I like about Yes is that it consisted of brilliant musicians, most with lengthy musical pedigrees. These guys knew how to play, and they created tight, almost-too-perfect, atmospheric soundscapes that teleport you to the worlds depicted on their covers.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, Yes (especially on this album) exemplifies the excesses of this musical period and of prog rock in particular. They are highly listenable here, as usual, as they slide from movement to movement through their dense electronic symphonies, but they also make it clear why the back-to-basics CBGB's scene that brought us the Ramones a couple years after this was released were necessary. Especially when you combine the studio mastery of bands like Yes with the corporate studio transgressions of the about-to-arrive disco era. Something had to balance the excess.<br />
<br />
I enjoy listening to Yes and to this album. They are smart and absorbing, full of imagery, and they play very well. Nobody can look at this band or listen to this record and claim these guys couldn't play or compose. This is good stuff, especially if you like rock keyboards, which Yes did better than anybody. Rick Wakeman might not have loved this album's concept, but man did he play it. And much of the fretwork is mind-blowing. Plus, for so-called symphonic rock, this record sometimes rocks pretty hard. Then again, sometimes it mellows out and takes you to a blossom world. (Wait. That "blossom world" thing was that one band. That other one.)<br />
<br />
Thing is, everything this album has, there's a ton of it here. Like eating ten scoops of ice cream, it can become too much. Whether you can get through it all depends on whether you are into this style of music. I suppose that's true of any album, even those that are much shorter or less pretentious.<br />
<br />
So just kick back and listen. Let the music carry you away. I'm Dad, so I'm not going to suggest you ingest the chemicals that were sometimes used to amplify this kind of album back in 1973 but, honestly, you don't need them. The music will take you there by itself. After a while, though, it might feel like it took you there, dropped you off, and forgot to come back and pick you up.<br />
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Only 4 tracks over 80 minutes is as scary as it sounds, The songs move along and change so smoothly though that it's easy to forget that it's only just 4 tracks.<br />
<br />
It's hard to discuss favorite parts within each song. You just have to trust me that it's all really cool! Like my dad said, it may be a little too long for someone who isn't into this kind of music (like me), but this is actually a very fun listen. The music here is beautiful at times, rocky at times, spacey at times, atmospheric at times, synthesizer heavy at times... It really has everything. Just a lot of it.<br />
<br />
Like my dad said, these guys really know how to play. There's so much going on in each of these songs, it's incredible to think that they are this tight of a band! I'm not sure how much studio magic there was back in 1973, but I can't imagine there was too much editing of these songs, and that's crazy to me. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall during the recording of this album.<br />
<br />
While this album is amazing to listen to for the first time, it really is a LOT of music. I was pretty tired by the middle of the second track, which was still about 30 minutes into the entire album. Each track though has some <i>really </i>awesome parts! It made listening to the entire thing not feel like much of a chore. I just needed to take a couple breaks here and there. I shouldn't have drank a huge Coke while sitting here listening to this and the last Who album...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-43467924130832537872017-01-29T15:07:00.005-08:002017-01-29T15:07:38.717-08:00"Quadrophenia" by The Who (November 1973, US release)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7X6nD7xEG66x1a_qPXPUfy9yB9bgLMiCJeTOnZybY5nVToR8zNhu4VP2JsqDF_srf2icWdpRd4Bh3U_u0EsaW8ZcMSwYaDX_kSmyS-nmL4e-u_jpB5wuwuuQhw80_Kao0zVSLF-7BxQFL/s1600/Quadrophenia_%2528album%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7X6nD7xEG66x1a_qPXPUfy9yB9bgLMiCJeTOnZybY5nVToR8zNhu4VP2JsqDF_srf2icWdpRd4Bh3U_u0EsaW8ZcMSwYaDX_kSmyS-nmL4e-u_jpB5wuwuuQhw80_Kao0zVSLF-7BxQFL/s1600/Quadrophenia_%2528album%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
It's hard to believe The Who only released six albums between 1965 and 1973, considering how many other major bands like the Beatles were expected to put out. But it's true. <i>Quadrophenia</i> is the sixth studio album and second complete rock opera by this band. The advantage of not releasing as often as other bands was the ability to fully develop their material. <br />
<br />
<i>Quadrophenia</i> is an excellent example of The Who's work, despite its length. It is not as well known as <i>Tommy</i>, their fourth album, but they were able to complete the rock opera, unlike <i>Who's Next</i>. It's an ambitious project full of ambitious music, approaching prog rock, at times, but with the emphasis on rock.<br />
<br />
The album sold well, reaching number 2 on n the U.S. album charts--higher than any other Who album, held from number one only by the phenomenally successful <i>Goodbye Yellow Brick Road</i>-- and going platinum, despite the fact that none of the three singles from the record cracked the Billboard top 40, and only one made number 20 in the U.K.<br />
<br />
Because this was conceived as an album and wasn't really a singles generator, it's hard to talk about individual songs. There are good ones--plenty of them--but most work best in the context of the whole. The best known songs, "5:15" and "Love, Reign O'er Me," were obvious single choices, but they are far from the only reasons to listen to this album. "The Dirty Jobs" stands out for me. "The Real Me" and the incredible "I've Had Enough," and some other songs illustrate the surprising introspection that makes this record stand out over other Who albums. "Sea and Sand" and "Drowned" have also gained a lot of popularity over the years, and for good reason. Interestingly, "Drowned" actually dates back to the <i>Tommy</i> period, although it wasn't included on that album.<br />
<br />
As for the whole, the story is more relatable, perhaps, than most of <i>Tommy</i>, more real I suppose, but in typical operatic fashion, it's exactly Tommy's strangeness and bigger-than-life feel that makes it stand out. I don't want to say <i>Quadrophenia</i> isn't as good. It's so different that the albums are hard to compare. But there are reasons why people remember <i>Tommy</i> more. For one thing, <i>Tommy</i> has been more successful as part of The Who's live show, giving it more exposure. The film version was also more successful. But <i>Quadrophenia</i> is more subtle, and is often better played (part of why it was hard to do successfully live). Keith Moon's drumming is especially good here. It's not hard to argue that this is the better album of the two, if they have to be compared.<br />
<br />
For sure, <i>Quadrophenia</i> requires more effort to listen to than most rock albums. It's long, for one thing, clocking in at over 81 minutes. It also takes some work to follow the story. It's not really an album for casual listening.<br />
<br />
So, why should you care?<br />
<br />
Because putting in the effort is worth it. It's one of the Who's last truly great albums, and deserves its place in lists of classic albums, both because of its ambition and the quality of the execution.<br />
<br />
<b>Brad's Take: </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Ah, another long one here... But since it's The Who, I feel like I need to give this my full attention, hence why it's taken me so long to finally make it happen.<br />
<br />
"The Real Me" follows the album's intro and it's relentless! This is a fantastic classic rock song filled with amazing drumming, and even cooler bass lines. If the entire album was like this, I wouldn't mind 80+ minutes of it.<br />
<br />
Good (unsurprising) news though! There are lots of great songs on here! So many that it would be silly to list them all because it would end up being the majority of the tracklist.<br />
<br />
A few favorites though:<br />
"The Real Me", "The Punk and The Godfather", "The Dirty Jobs", "Drowned", and "Belly Boy."<br />
<br />
I honestly didn't follow the story much. I'm horrible at paying much attention to the lyrics the first go around, let alone how they all connect to the other songs. That's something that will come with multiple listens, I'm sure.<br />
<br />
There isn't much else to say about this. It's a long album, but if you have the time to sit and listen to it as a whole, it's worth it. So many great songs! A few of which will get put onto future "Best of The Who" mixes that I make eventually. Just listen to "The Real Me." If that song doesn't make you want to listen to the rest of album, then maybe you should listen to that song again.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-1826118176186024072016-05-06T10:12:00.000-07:002016-05-06T10:12:05.098-07:00"The Singles: 1969–1973" by The Carpenters (November, 1973)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c5/The_Carpenters-The_Singles_1969-1973_(album_cover).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c5/The_Carpenters-The_Singles_1969-1973_(album_cover).jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I randomly discovered a YouTube video a few months of <a href="https://youtu.be/F9IagAg7u5M?t=2m18s" target="_blank">Karen Carpenter killin' it on the drums</a> on some old variety TV show, and I was so impressed. I thought she was just "the girl from the Carpenters." I didn't realize she was also a great drummer! It caught me by surprise, and I immediately started watching interviews and documentaries about Karen and Richard Carpenter, and listening to all their music, including Karen's solo album that wasn't even released until 13 years after her untimely death. Needless to say, I became a fan.<br />
<br />
"We've Only Just Begun", "Rainy Days and Mondays", "Top of the World", and 9 other classic Carpenter tunes fill out this compilation. If you're a fan at all of the group, this is an essential piece to have on deck when you're feeling like just chillin' on the couch on a Sunday afternoon. And if you aren't a fan of them, this is not for you because it most likely contains every song you hate.<br />
<br />
There isn't much else I have to say about this. There's no real duds on here. It just showcases the best of the best. It's nice and laid back. I could fall asleep to this and have happy dreams.<br />
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I've mentioned before that I think it's kind of cheating to include greatest hits records in a list of classic albums. However, if any deserve the title <i>classic</i>, this is one, along with the <i>Eagles Greatest Hits</i>.<br />
<br />
Everybody had this album. Well, <i>I</i> didn't. I didn't need it. Enough people I knew had it that I could hear it whenever I wanted, back when music sharing meant listening to records together in somebody's room. Also, because the Carpenters were radio darlings, you could pretty much be sure you'd hear them whenever you turned on your clock radio or your parents' hi-fi console. Only problem is, your parents liked 'em too, and man, that's just not cool.<br />
<br />
This album cover should appear as the definition of <i>ear candy</i> in the dictionary. Karen Carpenter's voice was sweet and clear, and the Carpenters used songs by some of the biggest songwriters of the period. (Oh, and Richard Carpenter's own songs weren't so bad either.) Mix that with mellow, somewhat muted arrangements performed by some of the best musicians available in an LA studio, and the combination is pure, easy listening bliss.<br />
<br />
If you're not a Carpenters fan, chances are you'll find at least a couple songs here that you like, even if you don't want to admit it out loud. And if you just can't handle anything this sweet because of your hyperrocksemia, stay away. Baby baby baby baby oh baby, is it sweet. This will likely put you into a diabetic coma. <br />
<br />
For those occasions when you need to hear something soft and warm, though--like maybe a rainy Monday--you just can't do much better than this album. If you like a dose of Carpenters now and then, this is the only record you need. It has most of the songs you remember. Every sha-la-la-la and every whoa-woh-oh-oh will bring back happy memories. But for some listeners, the shing-a-ling-a-lings will put you over the edge.<br />
<br />
Just make sure you brush your teeth after you listen.Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514903665519591838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-21020874264020985972016-05-04T12:39:00.000-07:002016-05-04T15:48:30.824-07:00"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John (October, 1973)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/86/Elton_John_-_Goodbye_Yellow_Brick_Road.jpg/220px-Elton_John_-_Goodbye_Yellow_Brick_Road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/86/Elton_John_-_Goodbye_Yellow_Brick_Road.jpg/220px-Elton_John_-_Goodbye_Yellow_Brick_Road.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
How have I never listened to this before? Elton John wasn't fooling around with this one.<br />
<br />
A huge, epic 6 minute long instrumental track opens the album and flows seamlessly into "Love Lies Bleeding" which sounds like a classic upbeat Elton song. Making the opening track 11 minutes long is a bold move, but this was very well done. The instrumental intro and the song itself were both interesting and awesome enough that putting them together in one single track was just fine. But boy was it daunting before I hit play! What a way to open an album though! So good.<br />
<br />
With such a huge opening to the album, of course he'd follow that with the fantastic ode to Marilyn Monroe, "Candle in the Wind", and then with (as if it couldn't get any better) my favorite Elton John song "Bennie and the Jets." 19 minutes into the album, it's already perfect.<br />
<br />
The vast majority of this album is completely new to me. I'm kicking myself for not listening to this sooner! There are so many fantastic songs on here that I've never heard before, such as "Grey Seal", "Dirty Little Girl", and "Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock'n' Roll)."<br />
<br />
Big hits aside, every song on this album is great. Even "Jamaica Jerk Off", which was pretty unexpected but still fun. I'm definitely going to have to dive into the bonus tracks and documentaries that revolve around this. Somehow 17 songs didn't satisfy me enough. I need more!<br />
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Ah, <i>Goodbye Yellow Brick Road</i>, the album I wanted for Christmas when I was 12 or 13, but never got.<br />
<br />
Every decade has its smash hits, the albums that define the decade. Can anybody doubt that this is one of them for the seventies? I envy Brad for hearing it for the first time. At the same time, I wondered how he'd like it out of the context of its time. That he digs it makes me happy.<br />
<br />
For those who weren't there, it's hard to comprehend just how massive this record was, and maybe even why it was so huge. I can't separate it from nostalgia and just listen to it for a review. I can't help but view it through retro specs. Big, huge, gigantic, diamond-studded retro specs adorned with feathers and everything shiny.<br />
<br />
It's somehow easy now to dismiss the album as seventies AM pop (not that there's anything wrong with that), but even a casual listen shows that it's more than that. From the epic "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" through the rest of all four sides, this is a creative album, filled with interesting, fun songs that often go deeper than mere pop radio fluff.<br />
<br />
This is one of those that, if I were to cite favorite songs, I'd pretty much have to list them all. The title song is brilliant, with some of the best put down lyrics this side of Dylan. "Grey Seal" is great. "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" and "Bennie and the Jets" were favorites then and still hold up now. "Harmony." "All the Girls Love Alice." I might as well just list the entire album. I can't even pick a favorite side. With a knife to my throat I might pick Side 4, but I'd do it regretting that I hadn't picked the other sides.<br />
<br />
So often, the old classics don't fare well when you listen again many years later through your later experiences and changes in taste, especially when so many songs have become part of the fabric of life to the point where maybe you've heard then one too many times. Or a thousand too many times. But not this one. Not for me anyway. Some songs, like "Candle in the Wind," have grown a little old, but for the most part, this is still a great listen, just like it was back in Jr. High.<br />
<br />
This album is more than a relic of the past. (Admittedly, it's hard to say that about an album that has just about always been there for me, because I can't judge it without the past coloring my opinion.) That it can still captivate a younger audience, like my kid, shows that there's something timeless here. Take away the Elton John kitsch and the tackiness of the time, and you're still left with a classic album that holds up today.Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514903665519591838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-53449718390590240922016-05-04T09:31:00.002-07:002016-05-04T09:31:48.800-07:00"Countdown to Ecstasy" by Steely Dan (July, 1973)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7f/Steely_Dan-Countdown_to_Ecstacy.jpg/220px-Steely_Dan-Countdown_to_Ecstacy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7f/Steely_Dan-Countdown_to_Ecstacy.jpg/220px-Steely_Dan-Countdown_to_Ecstacy.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
Steely Dan is another one of those bands that I've always heard mentioned but never actually sat and listened to.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Countdown to Ecstasy </i>is packed with groovin' jazz rock. It's really fun to listen to. I'm sure the more I listen to it, the more I will pick up. There's a lot of cool stuff going on throughout the songs. The jazz drum beats, with the bass plucking along, the crazy keyboard solos, the distorted rock guitar solos, catchy vocal melodies, etc. make it really interesting. This is an album that you can sit and listen to intently, dissecting each instrument, lyric, or melody, or you can listen to it as background music. Either way, it's very enjoyable. It's mellow and rockin' at the same time, which makes it easy to listen to at just about any time.<br />
<br />
Some songs I especially enjoyed are "The Boston Rag", "Show Biz Kids", and "My Old School." The album didn't produce any hit singles, but I think that if "My Old School" had been shortened in order to be more radio friendly, it could have done really well. It's a fantastic upbeat catchy tune, but it's almost 6 minutes long.<br />
<br />
I'm not sure what the rest of their discography sounds like compared to this album, but I'm definitely more interested in diving into more of Steely Dan's stuff after hearing this.<br />
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Confession time: Unlike many of my peers, I was never a big Steely Dan fan. There, I said it.<br />
<br />
It's not that I didn't like them, exactly. They're one of those bands who were a radio constant in the 70s, and I usually liked the songs I heard well enough. They didn't usually capture me at a visceral level, but I liked them. The songs were well-crafted, well-produced, and deserved their popularity. They were a part of the soundtrack of my life, but they never became more than that for me, personally. They were almost too tight, too slick.<br />
<br />
Except one song. One song that wasn't played much, but when it was, I stopped what I was doing and I listened.<br />
<br />
That song, "Boddhisattva," happens to open this album, starting things off in a way that opens my ears to the band I never gave as much attention to as I probably should have. If anything, "Boddhisattva" should have told me that I should go deeper into Steely Dan than the usual radio hits. But what can I say? I was a teenager. I wasn't that aware. Even today, though, when I hear their name mentioned, I think, "Great band, but not quite my cuppa."<br />
<br />
Unless I'm actually listening to them.<br />
<br />
The truth is, these days, I like their style of jazz rock, and I like their early work, like this one (their second studio album), best. "Boddhisattva," "Razor Boy," "The Boston Rag"--great song after great song, all the way through this album.<br />
<br />
In retrospect, it's surprising that this album didn't have bigger hit singles, especially when tracks like "Boddhisattva" and "My Old School" are so familiar now.<br />
<br />
So, let's wrap this thing up. I really like this album. A lot. Whenever I listen to it, I don't understand why I don't dig it out more often. It's not as uber-slick as the impression I got from the later seventies hits, for one thing. For another, it's simply a collection of great songs that hold together as a complete album. This album does to me what many other Steely Dan works do: it makes me want to listen to more Steely Dan, more often.<br />
<br />
Maybe I am a Steely Dan fan after all.Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514903665519591838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-59803202875913333482016-05-03T15:52:00.001-07:002016-05-03T15:52:53.772-07:00"For Your Pleasure" by Roxy Music (March, 1973)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/27/Roxy_Music_-_For_Your_Pleasure.png/220px-Roxy_Music_-_For_Your_Pleasure.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/27/Roxy_Music_-_For_Your_Pleasure.png/220px-Roxy_Music_-_For_Your_Pleasure.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Morrissey calls this the "one truly great British album" but I can name a handful of other British albums that I'd rather listen to than this one again.<br />
<br />
While <i>For Your Pleasure </i>isn't bad, by any means, it just didn't have a lot of tracks that I fell in love with. Not on first listen anyway.<br />
<br />
"Editions of You" was the first song on here that really got my attention, and I fell more in love with it as it went on. Such a cool, fun, and rockin' song! It almost sounds like if the Rolling Stones had a synthesizer. I really liked that song a lot and will definitely be going back to it.<br />
<br />
"In Every Dream Home A Heartache" is about a blow up doll, which is interesting. Kind of a cool song though that I'll probably find myself going back to. It's like how it fades out and then comes back in with a phasing effect on it.<br />
<br />
Those two songs were the only ones that I really enjoyed. The others aren't bad, but didn't grab me the same way, but they still make a real solid album.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This is one of four Roxy Music albums to make the Rolling Stone 500 Best Albums list. It's also the last Roxy Music album to feature Brian Eno, who later became a pretty big name on his own.<br />
<br />
And, I don't think I've ever listened to it. Go figure.<br />
<br />
This is another of those kind of odd British albums that telegraphed what we were going to hear a lot in the eighties. It's sort of Bowie-esque or T-Rex-ish, but not quite exactly. I mean, they were clearly Glam Rock, but if all you do is listen without any visuals, you might hesitate to put them in that category. And then, some songs are obviously glam. It's really hard to imagine the eighties without these 70s glam bands. Then again, the eighties weren't exactly my favorite musical decade, overall, despite some stuff I really enjoy.<br />
<br />
Like Brad, "Editions of You" was the first song to really grab my attention, probably because it's more of a straight-up rocker from the familiar R&B tradition.On the other hand, the slow, haunting "In Every Dream Home a Heartache" reminds me a little of the Vanilla Fudge version of "Season of the Witch," only without the creepiness..About halfway through, I'm kind of wishing there'd be some kind of change. And then, finally, there it is. The song starts to rock about three minutes in. That's one of a few songs that hearken back to psychedelia, which, of course, I like. The lengthy "The Bogus Man" is another of those psychedelic-tinged songs that held my attention.<br />
<br />
I think my reaction is a little more positive than the boy's, but then, I survived the seventies and the oddness of much of the decade is nothing new to me. Three songs in, I'm enjoying this, but not loving it. I think this might be one of those more-than-one-listen records, to get through the initial impression and really hear it. But it does make me curious about their other albums. Really, I know them mainly for a few singles, like "Love Is the Drug." There's nothing here I dislike, exactly, but there's not a lot that grabs me by the, er, throat--yeah, let's go with <i>throat</i>.<br />
<br />Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514903665519591838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-13379190008163550822016-04-18T06:19:00.003-07:002016-04-18T06:19:09.045-07:00"Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield (May, 1973)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-A6Ez3KpbQgyJ4XdypN7K2MT9r_cdvf_bVQVIXArzyLhyepdsfy7-xH273wcoCFQ6jI3-se6U8Ronc5VP2Q3JgdcYR8ZF-AgmJDIa87CxZ-MvIOxsG2uR-FeksnfoXA8yO80ARt4yqbD/s1600/Mike_oldfield_tubular_bells_album_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-A6Ez3KpbQgyJ4XdypN7K2MT9r_cdvf_bVQVIXArzyLhyepdsfy7-xH273wcoCFQ6jI3-se6U8Ronc5VP2Q3JgdcYR8ZF-AgmJDIa87CxZ-MvIOxsG2uR-FeksnfoXA8yO80ARt4yqbD/s1600/Mike_oldfield_tubular_bells_album_cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
I have to admit to being surprised to see this on our list of classic albums. Yes, the title song was a big hit after being used as the theme for The Exorcist, but if every album that spawned a big hit made our list, we'd be reviewing a lot more albums.<br />
<br />
When I read that the album stayed on the British charts for a whopping 279 weeks, all became clear. We are, after all, working from a British list. It was not as popular in the U.S., although it did go gold, largely because the unauthorized single edit reached number 7 on the Billboard charts.<br />
<br />
So, here I am, listening to an album that I've always considered kind of a novelty record without ever listening to the whole thing, and I realize I haven't given it enough credit. As a pioneering mix of Progressive and New Age music, it has, indeed, been influential. And it's an interesting listen, moving from the music that seems creepy because I associate it with the Exorcist, through some edgy guitar bits, pleasant soft sections, instrumental demonstrations, freaky bits, and so on, the album is kind of all over the map. Some sections are a complete surprise, like the final section of "Tubular Bells (Part Two)," which is like nothing before it on the record.<br />
<br />
In short, the album is more enjoyable that I expected.<br />
<br />
At times it teeters on the brink of boredom or the threshold of tedium, but then it changes in time (usually) to keep from falling over the edge. At other times, it is cool, mesmerizing, and even exciting.<br />
<br />
Although, to a Yank, it hardly seems to qualify in the same class as other albums on our list, I have to give this one credit. Anyone who was paying attention in '73 will recognize the main theme of this suite, and it continues to be used today. More importantly, the record is creative and inventive. This might not become part of my regular rotation, but I do feel better educated than I was before I spun it. It's a more substantial record than I believed going in.<br />
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Typically, I find myself dreading going into albums with 20+ minute long songs. It's always hard for me to push play. But once I finally gain the courage to begin, I usually know after a few minutes if I was being silly or not. Tubular Bells is 2 instrumental tracks that are each over 20 minutes long. I've been putting off reviewing it because of that. I needed to be in the right mood. Today, I was in that mood, and after about 5 minutes I knew that it was going to be okay.<br />
<br />
The tracks are always changing which makes this pretty easy to sit through. There's moments of classical, new age, metal, and typical 70s rock all sprinkled through these 49 minutes. It keeps it interesting and everything flows brilliantly, even when it goes from soft and quiet parts to metal guitar solos and back again. It almost feels like it's a bunch of song ideas that are all just glued seamlessly together.<br />
<br />
I'm not really sure why this album is on the list. Would it still be on the list if it wasn't for The Exorcist? Who knows...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-80962700650976520502016-04-03T11:06:00.004-07:002016-04-03T11:09:56.898-07:00"Raw Power" by The Stooges (February, 1973)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNU7rfCqsg9DoNFUs3w_GdSR0MG-btjYy_YcxYH1IFbptjd0pjGJ2xPtow0Xs1he5Gi_c_auRsCWG_CZu19zeSfxh_SWCs0A-xoSHHJKvhB5BhNlj2UBl3HW1zMUtaVk2mjMjX3U8CZVZl/s1600/StoogesRawPower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNU7rfCqsg9DoNFUs3w_GdSR0MG-btjYy_YcxYH1IFbptjd0pjGJ2xPtow0Xs1he5Gi_c_auRsCWG_CZu19zeSfxh_SWCs0A-xoSHHJKvhB5BhNlj2UBl3HW1zMUtaVk2mjMjX3U8CZVZl/s1600/StoogesRawPower.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
Iggy Pop and the Stooges take us into the days of proto-punk.<br />
<br />
The first two songs on this album remind me of the Velvet Underground and the Doors, respectively, but with a new attitude and swagger that came out of the VU's New York club scene. Equal parts hard rock, late-period psychedelia, Bowie-influenced glam without the glamour, and what we knew later as punk, this album is edgy and--as the title says--raw, a bridge between everything before and everything after.<br />
<br />
Like many classics, this is an album that wasn't well received at the time, but in retrospect was highly innovative and influential. Innovation is just weird when it first surfaces, but gains in value an statue over time. It's hard to imagine punk or grunge developing as they did without the Stooges laying the foundation.<br />
<br />
Iggy is scary, powerful, odd, and crazy--he's rock and roll. And he had the right band behind him to deliver his unique brand of Iggyness.<br />
<br />
Something tells me Brad might see this as a familiar island in the seventies sea, not that different from what he knows better. But the boy surprises me with some of his reviews (and that's kind of the point of our bigenerational assessments), so we'll see,<br />
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
Kicking the album off with "Search and Destroy" sets this album up perfectly. I love how fuzzy and gross the guitar sounds on it. It's like guitarist James Williamson said, "I'm cranking up my amp's distortion to a million and stomping all eighty-two of my distortion pedals!" It sounds so offensive, yet perfect at the same time. I think that sums up Iggy Pop and his band as a whole pretty well, actually.<br />
<br />
<i>Raw Power </i>kind of reminds me of the early Black Sabbath stuff, Deep Purple, and albums like theirs where there isn't much else to say other than "this rocks!" There isn't really much else to say about this. You just want to turn it up, clear your mind, and enjoy it because every song is great.<br />
<br />
The album is definitely raw and powerful like the title describes. It sounds dated, but that doesn't take away from the overall fun of it. It doesn't take itself too seriously so why should we? But if you're not cranking the volume up while you're listening to it, you're doing it all wrong.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-8573727863397204532016-03-24T14:04:00.000-07:002016-03-24T14:04:05.710-07:00"The Faust Tapes" by Faust (May, 1973)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/69/Faust_tapes.jpg/220px-Faust_tapes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/69/Faust_tapes.jpg/220px-Faust_tapes.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Brad's Take:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Well, this is awkward... <i>The Faust Tapes </i>consists of two untitled 20+ minute long songs. Actually, nay. I wouldn't call these "songs." Let's just call them "tracks" as they're basically just a bunch of segements of "stuff" glued together. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"Stuff" includes: </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Noise</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Static</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- People talking</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Actual songs</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Ambient instrumental interludes</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Creepy vocal things that sound like ghosts crying (actually scary)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- Other sounds I can't describe</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Needless to say, this is a very strange (yet interesting) album, and even quite enjoyable, actually. I was not expecting to actually be as entertained as I ended up being. There's some <i>really</i> weird stuff on here. I had fun trying to figure out what they were actually using to make these sounds. The way they blended so many different sounds together and wove all of these weird segments into each other takes some <i>real</i> creativity and artistic vision. It's not as easy as just recording random sounds and calling it an album. <i>The Faust Tapes</i> isn't something you'd put in your car stereo and blast with your windows down with your friends. This is a very unique and interesting that begs for your attention. I'd highly suggest listening to it in headphones so you can experience the stereo mixing. I'm actually kind of sad that it's already over...<br />
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
Interesting history on this one. Faust signed with a new label and part of the agreement was to give the label the recordings they'd done since their previous album for nothing so they could release it at a very low price. The result is an album of fragments pieced together to form a whole.<br />
<br />
As the boy said, much of this is actually quite good, kind of a jazzy prog-rock, mixed with some studio experimentation. Some of the experiments remind me of some of Brian Wilson's recordings of chants and musical fooling around during the Smile sessions, mixed with some of John Lennon's sound collages from the last couple years of the Beatles catalog. They work pretty well, for the most part. Most of the fragments are short enough that even the "wayest outest" experiments don't get tedious. The whole thing is actually pretty mesmerizing.<br />
<br />
Some of my favorite tracks include "Untitled," "Untitled," "Der Baum," and the surprisingly catchy bit of jazz-funk, "Untitled."<br />
<br />
Unlike most of the classics on our list, this is one that completely escaped my attention until we started going through the list. It wasn't part of the seventies air I breathed like many of the other albums. In fact, I wasn't even aware it existed back in the day. I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it that much in my early teens. But I like it more than I expected now.<br />
<br />
This might not be the record to put on during your next dance party, but it makes for an interesting listen, one that will reveal new discoveries in subsequent spins.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514903665519591838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-59667417999403660212016-03-24T11:08:00.004-07:002016-03-24T11:08:46.635-07:00"The Dark Side of the Moon" by Pink Floyd (March, 1973)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeov60FJ_BJiz8tQ-nB-5C70laej1y_OxAGOox3cDPnwfmMQZ1Y3OmWBO_10EYYvUbgoN_u7skK0UbW-eXQeW60OACjfOKxqtkl0q1YAqc_JX1q0CcLRYpjTRtsvOXgDiP4wePv5uJCtf/s1600/Dark_Side_of_the_Moon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeov60FJ_BJiz8tQ-nB-5C70laej1y_OxAGOox3cDPnwfmMQZ1Y3OmWBO_10EYYvUbgoN_u7skK0UbW-eXQeW60OACjfOKxqtkl0q1YAqc_JX1q0CcLRYpjTRtsvOXgDiP4wePv5uJCtf/s1600/Dark_Side_of_the_Moon.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
March 1, 1973 was a pretty good day in the music world, seeing the release of both John Cale's <i>Paris 1919</i> and Pink Floyd's <i>The Dark Side of the Moon</i>.<br />
<br />
I've learned a lot doing these reviews, but one of the lessons I've learned is that it's very hard to review a record that has been a cultural icon. This one, arguably the best-known album of the rock and roll era, demands much more attention than I'm going to give it on our little review page.<br />
<br />
Between the opening heartbeat that segues into insanity (and I do love records that deal with insanity, whatever that may say about me) and the closing heartbeat that fades into oblivion, are the fantastic sounds that make this a special record. It's so deeply dyed into the fabric of my generation that to review it would be like reviewing the human circulatory system. It's such an ordinary part of existence that we forget how extraordinary it really is. <br />
<br />
I really don't even know where to start writing. I'd rather just listen. So, yeah, this review is kind of a punt, but I get to hear this classic again, and that's the best part anyway. You should do the same.<br />
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>It's really strange being from a totally different generation. I didn't really start discovering and getting heavily into music until the mid/late 90's so listening to music that came out in the 70's and earlier is sometimes hard for me to want to do because I just don't understand it a lot of the time. The generation gap has been very evident in a lot of my reviews. I don't try to hide it. I don't say "I don't get it" to sound snobby or anything, it's because I just actually don't get it.<br />
<br />
With a lot of these albums we've reviewed, I feel like in order to fully understand why it's a classic album, you needed to be there witnessing all the hype happening in real time. You needed to see the affect it had on the world at the time it was released. You needed to witness the controversy it caused. You needed to be there to see how the music that came afterwards was influenced by one particular band or album, etc. For me, I'm working backwards here. So it's sometimes hard to keep an open mind and pretend that there hasn't already been something influenced by a particular classic album that I would describe as being much better than its source material, if that makes sense. For example, production styles and recording quality in general are so much more crisp and clear now compared to everything before the 80's. There's albums right now that sound better than anything The Beatles put out. Hell, even musicians recording in their bedrooms have better sounding recordings than a lot of these ones we've reviewed! Anyway, I'm rambling and going off topic a bit...<br />
<br />
Needless to say, this is my first time listening to Dark Side of the Moon. It's an album I've always known about, but I never had an interest in listening to. I pretty much only knew Pink Floyd for their song "Another Brick in the Wall." I remember seeing the music video on VH-1's Pop Up Video every once in awhile when I was in junior high school.<br />
<br />
My initial reaction is: It's weird! It's weird, but also very calming and hypnotic. It's no wonder the stoner kids gravitate towards it.<br />
<br />
Although a lot of it is just super long instrumental music and jamming, there are some tracks that stood out to me:<br />
<br />
"Time" has a nice funky groove to it which I enjoyed. "Money" is a song I forgot that I knew already, so that was cool to listen to. My favorite track was "Us and Them" though. I loved the choruses. Sounds so big and loud! And the chord changes during the choruses feel reeeeally good. That song was almost 8 minutes long, but it could have been longer and I'd be pleased.<br />
<br />
I like how all the songs flow into each other. There's no fadeouts or long pauses. It's all pretty seamless from one song to the next. It makes it a lot easier to sit and listen to the entire album because it feels like you're supposed to. Like it was intended to be that way, which I'm sure was the intention.<br />
<br />
While I don't see myself going back to this anytime soon, or feeling the need to dive into Pink Floyd's entire catalog now, it was cool finally giving this album a proper listen. I enjoyed the whole album. This is one of the rare ones we've reviewed where I agree that it should be classified as a classic.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-502612770000748332016-02-07T07:51:00.004-08:002016-02-07T07:51:30.080-08:00"Paris 1919" by John Cale (March, 1973)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWw6yE4hiitLS8BzQ7q92sQyPDy4WXoQYBrMk57pmou-B1YkEINpK_SraQVcQwOo8VbtvMXzw9ketOlg5Yh6jWgm65Igc_cBHwxXlCWOy3AqJOKkdt0x69oSaTs-l8tcN7GsS8ZwfT7FSF/s1600/JohnCaleParis1919.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWw6yE4hiitLS8BzQ7q92sQyPDy4WXoQYBrMk57pmou-B1YkEINpK_SraQVcQwOo8VbtvMXzw9ketOlg5Yh6jWgm65Igc_cBHwxXlCWOy3AqJOKkdt0x69oSaTs-l8tcN7GsS8ZwfT7FSF/s1600/JohnCaleParis1919.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
Funny how reviewing an album makes me notice something that has always kind of been there, as if it's the first time. Paying attention will do that.<br />
<br />
When <i>Paris 1919</i> opens, I detect an immediate Brian Wilson influence, a melodious baroque pop rock that was really not at all what I expected. The opener, "Child's Christmas in Wales," is poetic, as you'd expect from its titular reference to Dylan Thomas who is also referenced in the second verse. But it has poppy light-rock feel that makes it accessible despite its complicated lyrics. It's only the first of several literary references in an album that also includes songs named for Graham Greene and Macbeth.<br />
<br />
It's a great introduction to an excellent album.<br />
<br />
This record immediately grabbed me and didn't let go. It's smart without being self-obsessed, poetic without being obscure and, more than anything else, it's musical, with great melodies and incredible songs. A good example of this musicality is "The Endless Plain of Fortune," with its Wilson-like dark chords and heavy orchestration that create a somewhat frightening mood that grabs me by the throat and doesn't let go.<br />
<br />
Song after song blows me away. "Andalucia" takes me to another world. "Macbeth" has a rock sound you wouldn't expect, with a bouncy Beach Boys-like rhythm and melody, but a harder feel. "Graham Greene" is another fun song. Every song on the album is enjoyable, and every song is substantial enough to require multiple listening to take it all in.<br />
<br />
This is a great album, start to finish. Definitely one I need to know better. <br />
<br />
The version I have includes a number of bonus outtakes, alternate takes, and rehearsals, which help to illuminate the album, but which I won't review in detail.<br />
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>I can't say I ever heard of John Cale before his album <i>Paris 1919</i> popped up on our list. I've started listening to it maybe three or four different times so we could carry on with our reviews, but each time ended pretty quickly after it started. I either got distracted, got bored, or it didn't fit the mood I was in at the time. I wanted to give it a fair shot so I waited. But when I decided to try and give it another go, it hit me. Right from the opening chords of the first track, "Child's Christmas in Wales" I knew that this was the right time to finally write about it.<br />
<br />
Like my old man said, the Beach Boys/Brian Wilson influence is definitely apparent. But it's not a copy-cat situation, like <a href="http://ourgenerationsalbums.blogspot.com/2011/12/sound-of-fury-by-billy-fury-may-1960.html" target="_blank">Billy Fury trying to be Elvis and Buddy Holly</a>. Instead, you just hear a guy creating beautiful music that is inspired yet unique.<br />
<br />
To me, this doesn't feel like an album that was recorded in an actual recording studio. It feels more like something he created in his house at his own leisure, and then eventually released to the outside world when he thought it was finally right. The reason I feel that way, I think, is because it sounds so warm and laid back. "Andalucia" is a good example of what I mean.<br />
<br />
But then "Macbeth" comes in... This song changes everything. Just when you start feeling comfortable and at home, all of a sudden, John throws a curve ball and hits you in the face with a loud, energetic, rocker. Squeal-y guitar solos and relentless drumming throughout the whole song really makes this one stand out.<br />
<br />
<i>Paris 1919 </i>really is a masterpiece. It packs so much into just 30 minutes. There isn't anything missing here. You've got fantastic pop hooks, gorgeous instrumentation, big rockin' curve balls, and stripped down mellow songs. The lyrics are unique, the melodies are great... The whole album is just awesome.<br />
<br />
I'm glad I waited so long to review this. Today was the perfect day to listen to this one.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-32790912651898431712015-10-13T11:47:00.003-07:002015-10-13T11:47:23.664-07:00"Blackboard Jungle Dub" by Lee Perry and the Upsetters (1973)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjq-KlRJ4ss9CZbZkRvx4f-UUbP4C_SbhfNwiJjB6aPhH7OwgS9uDWiYDvm3105Ztuz0xaabadW-8c6qJhJmOHP77JQWsAJQ3GVcvUv5tA7CV8WtFLGe2aS5rbjVhnmSvCfAXKxetE5Ujr/s1600/Callin_de_meek_and_de_humble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjq-KlRJ4ss9CZbZkRvx4f-UUbP4C_SbhfNwiJjB6aPhH7OwgS9uDWiYDvm3105Ztuz0xaabadW-8c6qJhJmOHP77JQWsAJQ3GVcvUv5tA7CV8WtFLGe2aS5rbjVhnmSvCfAXKxetE5Ujr/s320/Callin_de_meek_and_de_humble.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
Lee Perry was pioneer of dub music, taking sounds he and dubbing them into innovative reggae music. This album originally had a very limited release, 300 copies, and sold only in Jamaica. That it has managed to build a cult following worthy of a classic albums list is pretty amazing.<br />
<br />
OK, I have to admit it. Everything in that previous sentence led me to dread this review. This really isn't my kind of thing. But I didn't need to be afraid. It's actually a pleasant listen, although it's also very long and quickly starts to all sound the same.<br />
<br />
It's really not so bad. It reminds me of some of those tropical sounds albums we did early in our attempt to review everything in this list. It makes for some interesting listening, and sometimes the sounds capture my imagination.<br />
<br />
The problem is, this is so long, and that rhythm starts to sound monotonous very quickly. So, I'm listening to the whole album, and enjoying parts of it, but I have to admit, I'm really kind of bored. Nothing really stands out. It's just one long groove, kind of cool at times, but mostly it just grows old fast. I know there are probably devotees who would jump all over me for this review, but, you know, people like what they like, and this just does very little for me. It doesn't affect me emotionally or interest me intellectually.<br />
<br />
I don't know what else to say. This just isn't the kind of music that holds my attention for 14 songs (18 on our expanded edition). I'm not saying it's bad. It might even be great. If it weren't so goldern long I might even actually like it, kind of. But, sorry dub fans, this just isn't for me.<br />
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The purpose of my dad and I starting this blog was to the show how generation gaps might affect reviews of a particular album. There's been a lot of albums so far where my old man loves an album, but I have a total opposite opinion, and that's what makes this blog the most interesting, usually.<br />
<br />
This will not be one of those interesting reviews.<br />
<br />
Dub music (or reggae, or whatever you're supposed to call this) is so far out of my comfort zone and personal taste. I just can't get into this at all. I can't even pretend to be optimistic about it. I have absolutely no interest in this style of music.<br />
<br />
I think it's safe to say that you won't be seeing me or my dad at any reggae/dub festivals anytime soon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-12818392815889973092015-10-13T11:19:00.005-07:002015-10-13T11:19:55.778-07:00"Talking Book" by Stevie Wonder (October, 1972)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoK-Ej7NGSWkvQRQ0cMmo0Mdxtn5u_rPHakTDN9EM84t2i_yrnSc8vl9srAgR33NTyQRYN0Dgxp2c1eCfRf7paXoWyUp603UnMfHLsrYVVoOAnuDMVkFvez61lVix_8PTCEQWnkcU4MAaC/s1600/Talking_Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoK-Ej7NGSWkvQRQ0cMmo0Mdxtn5u_rPHakTDN9EM84t2i_yrnSc8vl9srAgR33NTyQRYN0Dgxp2c1eCfRf7paXoWyUp603UnMfHLsrYVVoOAnuDMVkFvez61lVix_8PTCEQWnkcU4MAaC/s1600/Talking_Book.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
The 1970s turned out to be a great decade for Stevie Wonder, and really started with this record, his 15th album.<br />
<br />
Fueled by two monster hits "Superstition" and "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life," Stevie left Little Stevie Wonder behind and showed that he was a grown-up musical force to be reckoned with. This is where he became a superstar. This was hist first album to reach #1 on the R&B charts, and it made #3 on the Pop charts. It also took home three Grammys at the 1974 awards (the same year his next album, <i>Innervisions</i>, won album of the year). Obviously, Stevie Wonder dominated 1973, and it all started with this release in October, 1972.<br />
<br />
Any album that starts with a classic megahit love song like "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life," has a lot to live up to. Sometimes it's hard to get beyond the kind of sappy lyrics and notice the jazzy rhythm section that drives the song. It's just a good one, all the way around.<br />
<br />
But once Wonder gets passed the obvious radio hit that naturally starts the album, he hits a funky groove that shows he is more than a hit machine, that he's an innovative master of R&B. Today's R&B artists owe a huge debt to Stevie Wonder. While many of the songs seem locked very much in their time period, mainly because of the very-seventies electronic keyboards, others transcend the calendar and could have been laid down any time from the late sixties to today. "Maybe Your Baby" could have been sent back in time from now, especially vocally. But it's really the backing track that makes it for me, with the big Moog bass sound and the funk guitar, and interesting rhythms. I dare you to try to do something else while this song is playing.<br />
<br />
The album goes on like this, combining gentle jazzy love songs with big R&B numbers, showing both sides of Stevie Wonder, and never getting boring because of the sameness that dominated some other albums of the period. There are also plenty of the social messages that have always been found in soul records. "Big Brother" is the obvious example here. Wonder is versatile, and his talents as a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist drive this record.<br />
<br />
Of course, for me, the album is dominated by the monster sounds of "Superstition." What a song that is! Even after all these years, it's timely and modern and just plain Funky with a capital F. The kind of song that, if you do nothing else in your career, you'll be known as a legend because of this one record.<br />
<br />
This is a great album. Sure, today parts of it sound dated, but certain sounds become associated with a specific time period because they dominated that time, and dominant albums are usually classics. It's hard, though, to imagine where modern R&B would be without the influence of this and other Wonder albums. And, as good as this is, it's hard to believe how much bigger Little Stevie was going to get over the next few years.<br />
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
First off: It's crazy to think that in the early 70's Stevie Wonder was already releasing his 15th album. Was this guy releasing music since the beginning of time? What a machine!<br />
<br />
The album opens with the super popular (and super dated) "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life." It's a cute song, but a great classic song? I dunno. The dated-ness of a few of these songs (mostly the slower ones) really took a toll on my patience and willingness to get through this. Blame it on the generation gaps before you strike me! Fortunately though, the great songs are actually really, really great!<br />
<br />
"Maybe Your Baby" is definitely a highlight on <i>Talking Book</i>. Ray Parker Jr. (the Ghostbusters song guy!) plays some mean electric guitar on this heavy funk jam. If this song was peanut butter, it'd be extra chunky. "Tuesday Heartbreak" is another one of the great up-beat tunes on here that I really enjoyed.<br />
<br />
But let's get real... "Superstition" takes the top highlight spot. That song still rocks! Totally timeless, Everything about that song is perfect,<br />
<br />
Even on the very few doozies on <i>Talking Book</i>, Stevie's voice is what really carries the album. His voice and the emotion he packs behind it really makes his music shine. That voice is just "wonder-ful", even still.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-22769622503139833252015-08-16T06:51:00.001-07:002015-08-16T06:51:10.527-07:00"Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968" by Various Artists (September, 1972)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5I5wj8LAt143xr1F3QfljXysBilswc9vs6VaHtQ1E1bxN8YoOGtvMZBJzvoM23Fm39vQW-3RL1qZWqtdgoGUPN3vkAjquSkPC_ca7u9pOz4L_7_aHOokUQeeBlqC8a4P9vReu8kFR4P7x/s1600/Nuggets,_Volume_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5I5wj8LAt143xr1F3QfljXysBilswc9vs6VaHtQ1E1bxN8YoOGtvMZBJzvoM23Fm39vQW-3RL1qZWqtdgoGUPN3vkAjquSkPC_ca7u9pOz4L_7_aHOokUQeeBlqC8a4P9vReu8kFR4P7x/s1600/Nuggets,_Volume_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
For most sets like this, I'd complain about a various artists compilation being on a classics albums list, even when I really like the music, as in this case. But this compilation belongs on the list, for two reasons.<br />
<br />
First, this set was very popular. It led to sequels, and eventually to a series of CD box sets, some of which I have. Popular does not necessarily equal classic, but in this case, because the album is full of classic music that often came from small labels and short-lived bands that didn't necessarily release classic albums (or even albums), I'll let this one in.<br />
<br />
Second, and most importantly, this compilation was hugely influential. Although the subtitle and cover art make it look like this album contains a bunch of psychedelic music--and it does--the record is most notable for its sizable collection of late-sixties garage bands. Why does this matter? Because the re-emergence of these lost garage classics led directly to punk music, one of the biggest movements to grow out of the seventies, one that is still dominant today. In fact, the liner notes for this package contain one of the first usages of the term "punk rock."<br />
<br />
Songs like "Dirty Water," "Night Time," and many of the others on this record, are clear predecessors to punk. Seminal punk bands like the Ramones ate up these garage classics from the sixties, sometimes even covering the songs.<br />
<br />
I'd talk about all of the songs I like, but there are too many to list in this 27-song compilation. And they don't really matter. It's more about the movement and the unburying of lost songs that often appeared on small, local labels. I'll mention a few songs, though. Like "Psychotic Reaction" by the Count Five, a band that I can attest to being a garage band because they used to practice in a garage on my grandparents' street in San Jose, California, where I remember seeing them at least a couple times when I was but a wee lad. I wasn't impressed, but I was like six. I like their song now.<br />
<br />
And then there's the Brian Wilson/Smile inspired beauty of "My World Fell Down" by Sagittarius, featuring sometime-Beach Boy Bruce Johnston. It's a great song. "Pushin' Too Hard" by the Seeds is pure protopunk. "A Public Execution" by Mouse & the Traps, the somewhat exhausting "Run, Run, Run" by the Third Rail, "Tobacco Road" by Blues Magoos, the blues classic "Baby Please Don't Go" as performed by Ted Nugent's band, the Amboy Dukes, "Open My Eyes" by Todd Rundgren's band The Nazz--these are all just great songs. And there are so many more. It's fun to look up these bands, most of which are barely remembered, and see how many of them include musicians who later became famous.<br />
<br />
So, although a various artist compilation, like a greatest hits package, might technically be cheating when included on classic album lists, I won't argue with this one. Arguing would just take away from my listening time, and I love listening to this one. I even think that Brad, not a fan of psychedelic music, is going to find a lot of groovy tunes to dig in this one.<br />
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>Well, my dad was right. I did enjoy this!<br />
<br />
It's obvious that this compilation came out at the peak of the Beatles initial success in the mid-60s because a lot of these bands sound a lot like them. Like, a lot. For example, The Knickerbockers' track "Lies" sounds very early-Beatles-ish. I guess when it comes to mid-60s garage bands, it only makes sense for them to be influenced by the biggest bands at the time, especially The Beatles, as this collection consists of songs that came out right after the Beatles came to the U.S. for the first time. Basically, if you like the early Beatles music, you'll most likely dig this entire album.<br />
<br />
The Beatles aren't the only band with obvious influence on a lot of these bands though. "Don't Look Back" by The Remains sounds a lot like a song The Rolling Stones would have penned in their early days. The vocalist even emulates a bit of Mick Jagger. Also in a good way.<br />
<br />
On this compilation, when the songs don't sound Beatles-esque garage rocky, they are your typical 60's psychedelic pop/rock, which I don't gravitate to as much. I don't think any of the songs on this collection really bothered me at all though. Despite its length, this was a pretty enjoyable listen front to back. There are definitely a few bands on here that I'd like to check out more.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-86044633652543752392015-06-14T07:26:00.005-07:002015-06-14T07:26:58.312-07:00"Foxtrot" by Genesis (October, 1972)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLC1QMB2C3Bdq3dOSbuzcQd_SUrhc2cNCoUjMvSDUM6iR9B0_LJFQT_0FYLUfuvaE8xIzaWUm9BHl26unrffzP5_Fk3lvZ3ToKIYu7Irz_kDKdxm7OLWBgYsgVccuvjpGl55v_DCPc1AQ/s1600/Foxtrot72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLC1QMB2C3Bdq3dOSbuzcQd_SUrhc2cNCoUjMvSDUM6iR9B0_LJFQT_0FYLUfuvaE8xIzaWUm9BHl26unrffzP5_Fk3lvZ3ToKIYu7Irz_kDKdxm7OLWBgYsgVccuvjpGl55v_DCPc1AQ/s1600/Foxtrot72.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
Back before Genesis became an icon of Eighties pop radio, they were a groundbreaking, if sometimes dull, progressive rock band. This particular album, their fourth, is more proof that the list we're working from for these review comes out of Britain, because this particular album, which hit number 12 on the UK charts, did absolutely nothing here in the US. But, hey, it was #1 in Italy.<br />
<br />
I have to admit that I've never been much of a fan of Phil Collins's singing, although I think he's a very talented and very funny dude. That bias prejudices me against much of Genesis's work, maybe somewhat unfairly. But people like what they like.<br />
<br />
That said, this is a pretty good record, for what it is. It's more accessible to a pop/rock ear than some prog rock is. Sure, it lacks that working-class edge that most of the best rock and roll has, but it is a musically interesting album, with meaningful (if sometimes somewhat obscure) lyrics. There's some real rock here at times, and there are indications that Genesis had some serious radio potential, as they proved later in their career. I like the whimsical pseudo-medieval-fairy-taleism of some of the songs.<br />
<br />
I'm actually enjoying this album, but I'm not loving it. There are bursts of brilliance. I think the highlight for me is the "Willow Farm" section of the "Supper's Ready" suite that ends the record. That section is funny and dramatic and I like it. And then, at other times, I find my attention being easily drawn away to other things. I like that there's plenty of rock in their prog, but I'm hearing very little that makes me fall in love with the record.<br />
<br />
I'm afraid this is like a pleasant first date that is fun while it lasts, but you know it's not going to go anywhere so you just try to have a good time while you're there. And, yes, one of the reasons is the rather annoying whine of that Collins voice. And the keyboards that sometimes remind me of the old Disneyland Main Street Electrical Parade. Maybe if I went back to this one for a second date, there could be a more meaningful connection, but I feel little compulsion to try it again. Now that I've listened to it all the way through and I know what it contains, if I feel the right mood and have nothing better to do, I might give it another shot. There really is some good stuff here, so I'll keep its number in my little black book.<br />
<br />
But, really, if I were Genesis, I wouldn't sit by the phone waiting for me to call. I guess I'm just not that into you.<br />
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Like most people my age, I pretty much only know Genesis for their album <i>Invisible Touch</i>. In fact, I forget that they were around LONG before that album came out in (the year of your Bradley) 1986. Their popular songs from the 80s are the sound I know them for, so this album was a surprise to me.<br />
<br />
Also, I always forget that before Peter Gabriel wrote "In Your Eyes" he was the lead singer of Genesis for a long time. Fortunately, he takes on lots of the vocal duties on this album. So does drummer Phil Collins though.<br />
<br />
I don't hate Phil Collins' voice as much as my old man does, but I feel like it Peter Gabriel's works much better for this particular style of music. Phil's voice makes a lot more sense on the poppy 80s tracks that I know him best for. I can't even get into the Disney <i>Tarzan</i> movie that Phil Collins did all the music for. Something about the soundtrack drives me absolutely nuts. It's just too much Phil, I guess.<br />
<br />
These prog rock albums are hard for me to get through willingly. I have music A.D.D. or something because when I see a song is over 5 minutes, I get very weary of it. And this particular album only has 2 tracks that are under 5 minutes, and a closing track that is 23 minutes long.<br />
<br />
It's hard to tell if I have favorite/least favorite songs on here. Each song has parts that I liked a lot, but just as many parts that I thought were really terrible. If I absolutely had to pick a couple songs to go back to, I'd probably choose "Get Em Out By Friday" and "Can-Utility And The Coastliners." Those two songs had a lot of really enjoyable parts in them.<br />
<br />
Overall, I think I'll stick with <i>Invisible Touch.</i><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-76323519726051718372015-06-14T06:51:00.003-07:002015-06-14T06:51:18.375-07:00"I'm Still In Love With You" by Al Green (October, 1972)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2aSfOxhge14-XNbY6G08OxtdpIHqtqj97PRRX5x3htB6dtmLTQIfHIvLmMPSGWhr-L6YEt7GUXQbK9CsnrVD0oh19TZOOOfvrFZVbqLilN-XwQBHddgVgmwXJrSQQbUp84dPOSmYV4TE/s1600/StillinloveAlGreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2aSfOxhge14-XNbY6G08OxtdpIHqtqj97PRRX5x3htB6dtmLTQIfHIvLmMPSGWhr-L6YEt7GUXQbK9CsnrVD0oh19TZOOOfvrFZVbqLilN-XwQBHddgVgmwXJrSQQbUp84dPOSmYV4TE/s1600/StillinloveAlGreen.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
This album brings back memories. I didn't have the record back in the day, but some of the songs were radio staples, and the sound is so typical of early seventies soul that it was everywhere, whether performed by Green or his contemporaries. It topped the Billboard R&B chart, and hit #4 on the Billboard Top 200.<br />
<br />
Al Green has this smooth, classic soul voice, and the songs are perfect for his vocal stylings. The title song, for example, is everything you need to know about soul love songs in 1972 wrapped into one tight little package: not too deep, not too poetic, but loaded with emotion and, well, soul. The other hit, "Look What You Done For Me," is, not surprisingly, a radio-friendly love song punctuated by those early seventies horns and a soft and gentle groove. The second song on the record, "I'm Glad You're Mine," isn't one of the stronger songs, but it still has this cool funky groove that you don't always hear on a ballad, a little reminiscent of Sly Stone. Even Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman," gets a groovy soul update that works pretty well. And who knew that the other cover on the album, Kris Kristofferson's "For The Good Times," could be so soulful? But then, <a href="http://ourgenerationsalbums.blogspot.com/2011/12/modern-sounds-in-country-and-western.html">Ray Charles already showed us</a> how full of soul a country song could be.<br />
<br />
The album is full of songs created in that vein, with Green delivering easy soulful ballads full of his smooth singing and tight, emotional squeals. There;s a sameness (or a unity, if you prefer) that makes the songs flow together, with nothing that jumps out and spoils the mood that the record creates. Typical of this genre, the songs aren't as much about the music or lyrics as they are the vocal stylings, the singing and the little sounds--the squeals and growls and moans--that create the feeling that the songs are trying to convey. At his best, Green was a master of the soul delivery.<br />
<br />
If you like your soul on the softer side, or if you're just in The Mood, put this one on. It's such a cool, mostly mellow album full of gentle soul funk. It sounds like sleeping in with your honey late on a Sunday morning.<br />
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The album art should have been Al Green sitting on a bed, rather than him alone in a chair. It would have been a lot more fitting for these sexy 35 minutes.<br />
<br />
The album never drifts away from the 70's sexy-time soul style, which makes it very cohesive. If you like one song, you'll like them all. However, there were still a couple songs that stood out to me. "Love and Happiness" has a really nice beat and groove. "Simply Beautiful" is extra soft and extra sexy, like he is whispering right into the girl's ear that he's singing to. And of course, his twist on the Roy Orbison classic "Oh, Pretty Woman" is a highlight and is very fitting for this album. And like I said, if you like one song, you'll like them all. There isn't a song on here that I didn't enjoy.<br />
<br />
I've never gotten into Al Green before this, and I'm kind of disappointed in myself for it. I see this specific LP at an antique store that I frequent whenever I am in the mood to shop for old used records. For whatever reason, I notice it every time I am sifting through the records, and now I realize that I should finally pick it up since it's always caught my eye, now that I know it catches my ear too.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-90593002764161955862015-06-04T10:13:00.000-07:002015-06-04T10:13:06.387-07:00"School's Out" by Alice Cooper (July, 1972)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://library.berklee.edu/images/displays/the_sound_of_detroit/image19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://library.berklee.edu/images/displays/the_sound_of_detroit/image19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
I like Alice Cooper as much as the next guy my age, but I have to admit, I was surprised to find him on our list. It's almost like the schlock of his act is being taken seriously. Not that that's a bad thing. Thing is, he's fun, and he did some pretty good songs.<br />
<br />
It's funny that this one follows Bowie in the list, because Alice Cooper is, in many ways, the dark side of the Bowie coin. It's really clear when you listen to the two albums back to back. Alice Cooper emphasizes the male posturing and the projection of danger, where Bowie lets the feminine side of rock and roll out of the closet, but Alice still hides his strut behind a Bowie-like androgeny, only less pretty. The second song on the album, "Luney Tune," even reminds me a bit of "Suffragette City" and explores some of the same themes as Bowie does with his Ziggy Stardust alter-ego. Also like Bowie, Alice Cooper helps to usher in the weird cheeseball that was the last 2/3 of the seventies.<br />
<br />
The stand-out tune on this album is no surprise. "School's Out" was a huge hit. Even those of us who liked school were sucked in by those dorky lyrics of rebellion, the anthem for the end of the last day of school for the rest of the decade. "My Stars" and "Public Animal No. 9" are vintage Alice as well.<br />
<br />
This album doesn't take itself too seriously, and yet it pushes the limits in its own way. The Marilyn Manson of my generation comes off as a comic book character now, but at the time, he actually scared people with his act, like Manson would later. But behind it all was a highly image-conscious performer who understood how to commercialize his image, and who had a tight band to help him do it.<br />
<br />
This isn't straight-up rock. The music is surprisingly creative. Just check out the instrumental break of the Broadway parody "Gutter Cat vs. the Jets," a song that always makes me laugh. That's followed by the Batman-like (the sixties version) music of the "Street Fight" between those gutter-cats (there are even meow sound effects) and the Jets. West Side Story goes rock, and it's funny and weird and entertaining.<br />
<br />
The rest of the album is like that. Seventies hard rock meets Broadway show tunes, with some surprising instrumental bits that are inspired as much by Fosse as they are by Ozzy, even when they rock. It's corny, schlocky, cheesy, stupid, smart, bombastic, dorky, subtle as a stubbed toe, and a whole lot of fun.<br />
<br />
A classic? Sure, why not? It illustrates the period when it was made very nicely, and isn't just another cookie-cutter rock album.<br />
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Alice Cooper is one of the most well known classic metal guys around. I immediately recognize him when I see him in a magazine or on TV. He's just one of those house hold names. He was like the Marilyn Manson of the 70s. But listening to his album <i>School's Out</i>, I came to the realization that I don't really understand why he is so popular anymore. I only know (and like) just one of his songs. At least from this particular album.<br />
<br />
"School's Out" is probably the only song I could ever name off the top of my head, before (<i>and</i> after) listening to this album. That song was the only one that stood out to me across this whole album. Maybe because it's the only one I knew, or maybe because it was the only one I enjoyed, but something about this album just didn't do it for me. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that it didn't sound any different than the other "stoner metal" from around this era, like Black Sabbath, but with a dash of David Bowie's weird experimental spacey stuff. Despite only recognizing one of the tracks, I felt like I had listened to this album a dozen times already. <br />
<br />
I really don't have much else to say about it. Nothing surprised me, except for the fact that this album even made the list of "classic albums." It must only be because of the massive title track. Unless I'm completely missing something and it just went over my head. </div>
Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514903665519591838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-25163352567975569502015-05-05T16:11:00.001-07:002015-05-05T16:11:43.055-07:00"The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" by David Bowie (June, 1972)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/01/ZiggyStardust.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/01/ZiggyStardust.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I might be in the minority here, but I didn't enjoy this one as much as <i>Hunky Dory. </i>The first half was hard for me to get through. I pushed through it though (fortunately) because the last half of the album is mostly pretty great.<br />
<br />
"It Ain't Easy" was the first song that I got to on here that I actually liked, and after that pretty much every song was enjoyable to me. I think I liked "Star" the most though.<br />
<br />
To me, "Star" sounded like a song that a "rock n roll star" would sing in their own head while standing center stage, looking over a massive crowd. It almost sounded cocky, in a way. I liked it a lot though.<br />
<br />
I think I'm beginning to get a decent idea of what David Bowie is all about now. I know that we have a few more Bowie albums coming up soon on our list, and I'm afraid all of my reviews of his album are going to be very similar. Hopefully he will surprise me soon because at this point I just don't really see the appeal yet.<br />
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
I like the concept of this album, with the singer taking on the persona of a stranger in a strange land. Being a foreign observer means you can say stuff that others might not say about what you're observing, to explore themes that are not always talked about in the macho world of early seventies rock, like bisexuality and the phoniness of image. <br />
<br />
The only problem is, I never quite believe it here. There's not doubt that Ziggy is Bowie wearing a mask, and that he loves that image, even when he knows it's phony. That's OK, but stories are always better when the author doesn't make himself so obvious. I forgive him though, largely because I've always really liked
"Starman." Of course, the big hit here is "Suffragette City," which earns its
popularity but stands out a little too much from the rest of the album, like "Changes" does on <i>Hunky Dory</i>. For me, this album has always been about "Starman." There are quite a few other great songs here. There's the T. Rex-like "Hang on to Yourself," the mood-setting "Five Years," which opens the album. "Ziggy Stardust" is a cool bit of pre-eighties glammy space rock in all its cartoon-like glory.<br />
<br />
Bowie may be my generation's Oscar Wilde, so hiding in the shadows of his own work is not likely to happen. And as Oscar Wilde would have, Bowie cuts through one of the truths about metal bands--that behind
the overt masculinity was a lot of teenage boys enjoying the physical
image of the performers, whose androgeny might not have been as obvious
as Bowie's, but it was a big part of their appeal to a large segment of
their audience. Bowie just made it more open, and by doing so, helped create the disco culture and, especially, the eighties. I think Bowie foresaw the revelation of what was behind the rock, and opened the door for the rest of the seventies and eighties by killing it off with "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide." And "Suffragette City" drew the rock fans in to witness their own demise, without realizing yet what was about to happen to the radio within a couple years.<br />
<br />
All that aside, this album goes beyond the surface glitter and glitz of glam rock. It
actually has some depth. Between the messages, the story, the concept,
the rock, and the sheer creativity of the songs, it's an enjoyable listen. More than that, it rises to the level of essential for understanding the period and, especially, what was about to happen to seventies when the often empty shell of disco glam took over. I don't mean to imply that that's what this album is, at all. But I think it helped move us in that direction.<br />
<br />
The album might not be one of my favorites, but it is pretty good. I think I might like this one better than <i>Hunky Dory</i>. I like the concept, and I think it holds together better as a complete album. Still, I don't think I can say I love it. I recognize it as an excellent album, and I enjoy listening to it. I like that there's more straight-up rock on this one. Unlike the last Bowie album we reviewed, I think this one is a classic in its own right, for what it is, not just for its influence on the following decades.Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514903665519591838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-6344675588372862102015-04-21T12:38:00.002-07:002015-04-21T12:38:41.174-07:00"Exile on Main St." by The Rolling Stones (May, 1972)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ca/ExileMainSt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ca/ExileMainSt.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<i>Exile on Main St. </i>is The Rolling Stones' 12th studio album. A double album that was recorded between 1969 and 1972. Recording began during the <i>Sticky Fingers</i> sessions, but when the band spent all the money that they owed in taxes, they all got out of Britain to avoid the government and moved to France. Most of the album was recorded in Keith Richards' new home's basement while the control room was actually in the band's infamous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_Stones_Mobile_Studio" target="_blank">mobile studio</a>. According to Keith Richards, the band never meant to record a double album. When it was time to compile all the tracks, they decided they liked all of the material they'd recorded so they chose to just release them all as a double album.<br />
<br />
The first half of the record (or disc 1) kicks off with "Rocks Off." It's a typical Rolling Stones sounding rock song, but that pretty much just means that it's a great song. The next track "Plundered My Soul" is also great. It's got some gospel influence in it, especially with those powerful female background vocals. This first disc is blended perfectly with everything that you'd expect from the Stones. It's got a nice mix of rock, gospel, and blues songs, but they all flow really nicely with each other. It ends with probably my favorite song from that first disc, "Loving Cup." That song has an awesome ending filled with horns, cool percussion, piano, and group vocals.<br />
<br />
Disc 2 begins with "Happy", a poppy little song with blues influence. The vocal melody in the verses sounds similar to "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night. It kinds of ends in the same way as "Loving Cup" did so listening to both of those songs back to back feels a little repetitive. "Ventilator Blues" was a really cool song. It has that twangy country-blues kind of thing going on and I love it. This is a sound that I don't recall the Rolling Stones doing before. At least not that I've heard. The second half of this album feels a lot more bluesy to me than the first, and I really liked that. The Stones do the blues very well.<br />
<br />
It's kind of difficult to get really into a double album by a band that you're not very familiar with. Especially when you listen to the whole album in full only once through. It's hard to remember earlier tracks and fully digest everything. <i>Exile on Main St.</i> was pretty fantastic though! Solid blues/rock/pop/gospel kind of stuff. However, there weren't a lot of real highlights for me, so quite a few tracks (which were good) just went through one ear and out the other. I wouldn't say there's any bad songs, but maybe just too much material to really focus on and remember as well as some.<br />
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b> <br />
<br />
I'm not surprised that this is the Stones album that Brad finally dug. Or at least kind of dug. This is the Stones doing their Stones thang as well as they ever did. But they also do an awful lot of it here.<br />
<br />
There's nothing really deep here, just loud, raucus, irreverent, R&B-based rock and roll with those rough edges that were often missing from other British Invasion bands. Within a couple seconds, you know this is a Stones album. And that's not a bad thing.<br />
<br />
"Rocks Off" is a great opener, followed by the brilliantly updated fifties sound of "Rip This Joint," one of my favorite tracks from this album. Everything that follows stays pretty much on that same path. If there's one knock on this album, it's that, being a double album, the quality of the songs is somewhat inconsistent. But, true though that may be, even the weaker songs have that Stones thing going on in spades. And, of course, any album that contains "Tumbling Dice" is going to be worth listening to. Then again, of the eighteen songs on the record, that's the only one that almost everybody knows (although "Happy" is also pretty well known as well), which says something about the album too.<br />
<br />
But hits and standout tracks aren't always the best way to judge an album. This one, despite its length, works well. The songs fit together, and there's enough variety in styles and tempos to keep it interesting. It's a good album to put on when you're in a Stones mood and don't necessarily want to hear a greatest hits album, and maybe you don't want to listen really closely--you just want to enjoy that Stones groove. And you're rewarded for your perseverance by a great closing set. Those last four songs sound great, great enough that I'm sorry to see them end, even when so much came before that one might be excused for feeling ready to move on.<br />
<br />
Despite Mick Jagger's dissatisfaction with this record, it's an enjoyable listen, and has everything you'd expect from a Rolling Stones album. It has aged well, increasing its status with the years until it has become known as one of the greatest rock and roll records ever. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514903665519591838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-80566154850213576392015-04-21T10:54:00.000-07:002015-04-26T08:22:09.874-07:00"Sail Away" by Randy Newman (May, 1972)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_250/MI0001/702/MI0001702018.jpg?partner=allrovi.com" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_250/MI0001/702/MI0001702018.jpg?partner=allrovi.com" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
My dad and I are going to have very different views of this, I think.<br />
<br />
Having been a little kid in the 90s really makes this album hard to approach fairly. I can't help but imagine each song as a movie scene featuring Woody and Buzz Lightyear because (as I assume everyone is aware of) Randy Newman did a few timeless classics on the Toy Story soundtrack. That movie and the songs from it have been in my life since it came out 20 years ago, when I was just 8 years old! So as you can imagine, it's really hard to hear Randy Newman's voice and separate it from those movies.<br />
<br />
Just because I can't help myself: "Sail Away" is a prequel to "I Will Go Sailing No More" (from Toy Story) about Andy taking his toys sailing with him out on the lake. "He Gives Us All His Love" is about Andy from the perspective of his toys, obviously. "Old Man" must be a rejected song about Andy's dad, which would make sense as to why Andy's dad was absent from all of the movies. (But seriously, just for a second, "Old Man" is a really fantastic song, albeit super sad.)<br />
<br />
I'll try to stop messing around now...<br />
<br />
I think picturing this as an alternate Toy Story soundtrack made it a lot more enjoyable for me. Randy Newman's songwriting style and voice are very corny, chipper, cute, and other good C-words, like "cucumber"... Anyway, imagining the songs as rejected Toy Story songs helped me get through it with a child-like smile. I really liked this album, in that regard. I think if I had gone into this with no knowledge of his timeless classics (such as "You've Got a Friend in Me") I don't know if I would have liked this as much. It was a fun little album, but just a tad too jolly for my typical liking.<br />
<br />
One thing's for sure though. There is nobody else that sounds like Randy Newman. His signature voice and songwriting style mixed with his family-friendly accessibility are the reasons he is on this list and why he's adored by so many.<br />
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
Brad called this one. Different views, indeed.<br />
<br />
Before Toy Story, Randy Newman was known as one of the world's most acerbic singer-songwriters, putting out deceptively fun songs full of bitter wit. <i>Sail Away</i> is the classic example.<b> </b><br />
<br />
There's so much dark humor in Newman's songs, sometimes so subtle that people miss it. Listen to this album once, then listen to it again with the lyrics in front of you, and you'll be surprised at how much you missed when you thought you were just listening to catchy, old-fashioned songs.<br />
<br />
<i>No one likes us--I don't know why</i><br />
<i>We may not be perfect, but heaven knows we try </i><br />
<i>But all around even our old friends put us down</i><br />
<i>Let's drop the big one and see what happens </i> <br />
<br />
Few songwriters have had so much to say, and have said it so well. Whether poking fun at the government or making it sound like thermonuclear war is the best party in town, or even poking fun of a religion based on love, but that allows incredibly suffering, Newman points his finger at everybody, then raises the next finger high to the sky.<br />
<br />
<i>I burn down your cities--how blind you must be</i><br />
<i>I take from you your children and you say how blessed are we</i><br />
<i>You all must be crazy to put your faith in me</i><br />
<i>That's why I love mankind</i><br />
<i>You really need me</i><br />
<i>That's why I love mankind</i><br />
<br />
Kick me again, Mr. Newman. I enjoy it.<br />
<br />
<i>I recoil in horror from the foulness of thee</i><br />
<i>From the squalor, and the filth, and the misery</i><br />
<i>How we laugh up here in heaven at the prayers you offer me</i><br />
<i>That's why I love mankind </i> <br />
<br />
And he kicks us, every one of us, in a way that's just so much fun. There's even a song I first heard on The Muppet Show.<br />
<br />
<i>Who needs money when you're funny</i><br />
<br />
So put on this record and listen to some of the most brilliant songs to come out of the singer/songwriter period of the early seventies, by a guy who might best be described as the anti-singer/songwriter. You can leave your hat on while you listen, but just don't blink or you'll miss, well, everything, and you won't even notice that Newman stripped you down and left you naked in the cold. <i>Sail Away</i> might sound like happy Gershwin-inspired Tin Pan Alley fun, but if you pay attention, you'll notice he's singing about the bums sleeping behind the dumpsters in the alley, and he's making fun of them, only he's really making fun of you. It's one of the darkest albums I know, and I love it.<br />
<br />
<i>Listen all you fools out there</i><br />
<i>Go on and love me--I don't care</i><br />
<i>Oh, it's lonely at the top. </i> <br />
Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514903665519591838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-47581311546349809762015-04-21T10:16:00.000-07:002015-04-21T10:16:38.069-07:00"Machine Head" by Deep Purple (March, 1972)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/00/Machine_Head_album_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/00/Machine_Head_album_cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
If Ozzy Osbourne picks this album to be in his "Top 10 favorite albums" list, then you can assume this going to rock. (Spoiler alert: It does!)<br />
<br />
Generally not my go-to genre, this early 70's metal album is actually really good. Like, really good! Huge guitar riffs and super fast solos sets this album apart from just about anything we've reviewed so far.<br />
<br />
I'd list the songs I like the most, but they're seriously all so good. But I mean, you can't <i>not</i> mention "Smoke on the Water" since that song contains one of rock music's most classic guitar riffs. You still can't go into a guitar store without hearing someone jamming that riff. With only 7 tracks in total, this album is a perfect example of "all killer, no filler." Each song totally rules. "Pictures of Home" even has a badass bass guitar solo.<br />
<br />
There isn't enough good things I can say about <i>Machine Head.</i> It just rocks. And for 1972, this seems ahead of its time to me. This definitely deserves to be on our classic albums list. I'm glad I got to hear it and finally see what these guys were all about. I really dig it! Time to listen to it again.<br />
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
If asked to list the top five songs that exemplify classic rock, you're going to mention "Stairway to Heaven" first, and chances are good you'll mention "Smoke on the Water" second. If not second, then it won't be far down the list. For that iconic song alone, this album belongs on our list. But that's not the only song that makes this a classic album.<br />
<br />
From the opening beat of the great "Highway Star" on, you know this is going to be a great album. That opener is one of the best driving songs ever, perfect for dropping the top, cranking the volume, and pushing the pedal. How can this album get any better?<br />
<br />
But it does. Or at least it maintains that quality.<br />
<br />
This is riff-based rock and roll at its finest. "Maybe I'm a Leo" slows down a bit, but it still has a great riff and cool solos. "That drum that opens "Pictures of Home" tells you that this song is going to be full of more brilliant solos, and it is, with everybody getting his turn. On and on this album goes, one great driving rock song after another, through the classic "Smoke on the Water," until it finally ends with "Space Truckin'," one of the true highlights of an album without any real low points. Even the songs that might lag a bit lyrically make up for it with those riffs and solos. Ritchie Blackmore dominates here, but he's got a great bunch of players behind him, lifting him to heights that have rarely been achieved by a metal album. I can't even begin to imagine 1970s radio without this record.<br />
<br />
If you only know "Smoke on the Water," and even if you think it's a cool song and all but you've heard it so often that it has become a metal cliche, you owe it to yourself to give this album a listen. It is so much more than one iconic song. And when you're done, throw on "Made in Japan," the live album where many of these songs are kicked up several notches. <br />
<br />
And if you're taking a road trip, this should be in heavy rotation, maybe even the first thing you put on.<br />
Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514903665519591838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-15935306697113970472015-03-25T15:29:00.005-07:002015-03-25T15:35:55.861-07:00"Harvest" by Neil Young (February, 1972)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/NeilYoungHarvestalbumcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/NeilYoungHarvestalbumcover.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Neil Young reminds me a lot of Bob Dylan, but with a better voice. This album's folk/country acoustic-ness and frequent harmonica usage is pretty much what I'm basing that comparison on. One of my favorite parts about <i>Harvest</i> was Young's vocals. I like his voice. They aren't perfect, by any means, but they're smooth, genuine, and not hard at all to listen to.<br />
<br />
The orchestration on "A Man Needs a Maid" is beautiful. The strings and bells are so powerful and dramatic. It's definitely one of my favorites on this record. "There's A World" is pretty similar to that song too. More beautiful orchestration coming in and out, going up and down. It takes you on an adventure, and strays from the typical acoustic folky-ness of the majority of the tracks on here.<br />
<br />
Most of the songs are pretty slow, but it picks up a bit in "Are You Ready for the Country?" and includes some wicked slide-guitar riffage. "Alabama" is another one that picks the tempo up a bit (but only as much as you'd probably expect from Neil Young). That song even introduces distorted electric guitar to the record. It's a great song. One of my favorites on <i>Harvest</i>.<br />
<br />
One thing that bothers me about older records is how they thought that adding a single live track into the tracklist randomly was a good idea. "The Needle and the Damage" is a good song, and it's a good performance of the song, but it really throws off the flow having the distraction of a crowd applauding on just one song in the middle of an otherwise completely studio recording. Neil Young wasn't the only artist that did this though, so I can't give him too much crap for making that decision, but it's just something that bothers me on some older albums.<br />
<br />
So many fantastic classic artists released albums in 1972. It's interesting that <i>Harvest</i> was the best-selling of that year. They had good taste though because this really is a great album. Nice job, Mr. Young.<br />
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
Harvest was inescapable the year I turned eleven. Even for us AM-radio-listening kids. This was largely due to the hugeness of "Heart of Gold," which I'm pretty sure was playing on one Bay Area radio station or another at just about any time. To say that song was big is like saying you can see a Wal-Mart every once in a while when you're driving down a freeway. Young would hate that comparison, but it's kkind of fitting.<br />
<br />
Young was apparently surprised by the success of this record, and didn't really like being put into the mainstream in such a big way. His whole career has been a battle between success and freedom.<br />
<br />
"Heart of Gold" might be the monster hit on this record, but it's not the only good song, and maybe not even the best. I really like the opener, "Out on the Weekend," which tells the story (or a version of it) of Young's move to LA from Canada. He tells that story in other songs as well, but this one is especially good.<br />
<br />
"A Man Needs A Maid," quickly turns from a mellow singer-songwriter song to lush orchestration, almost a magnum opus. "Are You Ready for the Country" is a bit of upbeat fun. "Old Man" has become one of Young's standards, an unforgettable and poignant song that reminds me Cat Stevens' "Father and Son," except only from the kid's point of view. It's still a great song, even now that I <i>am </i>the old man, looking back at kids who aren't that different than I was, but who don't always want to believe it. "There's A World" opens with a complete change of place, with timpani and a big sound, and then moving into another symphonic mini-suite. And, of course, "Alabama" and "The Needle and the Damage Done" have become classic Neil Young songs, and for good reason. "Words (Between the Lines of Age)" is a big finish, a long, slow rocker.<br />
<br />
Start to finish, this is a solid album, a true classic, and one of the most enduring records in a year full of classics. It's hard to do better.Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514903665519591838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-39825903432590541732015-02-17T13:07:00.000-08:002015-02-17T13:07:08.153-08:00"Something/Anything?" by Todd Rundgren (February 1972)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8GsdX3VqsgOA9GTwM7k1NNEcNjjsCSyFegja2Z2_cuDgonhIlEGzMWoZyKNXTzjZAF7Y_ucejx-ImCwub8enYAFH7LlWSjfJkTlhDyvJCYcd9yFb__kucqNGPCEgmD64fgXzAL1t52JM/s1600/Somethinganythingcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8GsdX3VqsgOA9GTwM7k1NNEcNjjsCSyFegja2Z2_cuDgonhIlEGzMWoZyKNXTzjZAF7Y_ucejx-ImCwub8enYAFH7LlWSjfJkTlhDyvJCYcd9yFb__kucqNGPCEgmD64fgXzAL1t52JM/s1600/Somethinganythingcover.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
This may be the ultimate "studio hermit" album. It's a long double album, clocking in at almost an hour and a half, with the three of the four sides recorded by Todd Rundgren all by himself, playing every instrument, much of it in a home studio.<br />
<br />
What strikes me about this record is the variety of styles. In addition to the straight up pop hits "Hello It's Me" and "I Saw the Light," the album has harder rock, singer/songwriter fare, and experimental studio noodling.<br />
<br />
In a collection this big, one would hope for some great songs, and it doesn't disappoint. There are a lot of highlights. In addition to the hits, I've always been fond of "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference." "The Night the Carousel Burnt Down," is also very good, showing humor, pathos, and Rundgren's studio talents. On the heavier side, "Little Red Lights" stands out to me.<br />
<br />
It's easy to see why this album makes our list, as well as placing at 173 in Rolling Stones list of the top 500 albums. It is loaded with good-to-great songs. That most of it was recorded by one man alone is pretty amazing. On the other hand, despite the variety of material, it sometimes suffers slightly from the sameness that is perhaps inevitable in a solo project of this length. Between several highlights and a few lowlights is a large pack of songs that don't stand out much either way. That's not to say they are bad, just that there are so many songs. Sometimes it feels like the album should be called "Something/Anything/Everything."<br />
<br />
This album was a tremendous effort, and the work paid off. This is obviously a labor of love. It's enjoyable, sometimes great, and seldom dull. Todd Rundgren's enormous talent and range is showcased well. An excellent album all around. It's just, there's so much of it. <br />
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>The problem with super long albums is that they're... well... super long. It's hard to get through an hour and a half worth of music. <i>Something/Anything? </i>is no exception, unfortunately. This album feels the same as other double albums; the top quarter of it is really enjoyable, the middle half is when you realize you've been daydreaming for about 20 minutes and can't remember the last 10 songs you listened to, and then the last quarter of the songs is just you impatiently waiting for it all to end.<br />
<br />
Obviously, this didn't grab my attention much. After 5 or 6 songs, I knew what the rest of the album was going to sound like. There isn't much different from song to song, probably because Rundgren wrote and recorded every instrument on 3/4 of this record. It all just blends together, with a couple great songs sprinkled throughout.<br />
<br />
There's no doubt that this guy is extremely talented. Being able to write and record quality songs like this is a great accomplishment, but this would have been much more enjoyable if it had been cut down to his best 12/13 songs, rather than making it a 25-song double-album. But people were into that kind of thing back then, I guess.<br />
<br />
"It Wouldn't Have Made a Difference" and "Couldn't I Just Tell You" were the ones I liked the most out of all of these. But don't assume that those are the only two good songs. All of the others are very similar to those two, but those are just the ones that caught my attention the most, for whatever reason.<br />
<br />
The last 1/4 of the album is different though. He has a band with him and you can totally hear a change in sound on these songs. They're good, but it didn't feel new enough for me to separate them from the rest of the pack.<br />
<br />
Like I already said, Rundgren is obviously very talented, but this is just too much of a (pretty) good thing. It's not bad, it's not great, it's just too much.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7558165406794259675.post-36094920294959838052015-02-17T10:59:00.000-08:002015-02-17T10:59:17.474-08:00"Pink Moon" by Nick Drake (February, 1972)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3c/NickDrakePinkMoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3c/NickDrakePinkMoon.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Brad's Take:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This is a complete change of pace, compared to that ELP album we reviewed just before this.<br />
<br />
<i>Pink Moon</i> was Nick Drake's final studio album before he died of overdosing on depression medication at only 26 years old. Drake decided to make a solo acoustic album this time around, with just him and the sound engineer in the recording studio. The studio was booked during the day so in just two nights, Nick and his engineer would go in to record at 11pm and record during the night. It's pretty crazy to think that in just two nights, they recorded an album that became so influential.<br />
<br />
Nick Drake is one of the many artists that got really popular posthumously. You can hear his influence in lots of current artists, such as Mike Kinsella and Mark Kozelek, especially with the use of alternate guitar tunings, which Nick Drake really liked using. Nick was self-taught on the guitar, and when he was trying to do complex guitar chords, he'd experiment with tuning certain strings differently in order to be able to play those chords easier. His guitar playing on this album is really lovely.<br />
<br />
It's hard to name specific songs that I like because I really liked them all. One of the more interesting ones though is "Know." It repeats one little guitar riff over and over throughout the song.<br />
<br />
I'm glad this album is on our list. Otherwise, I may have never listened to it. Everything about <i>Pink Moon</i> is beautiful. I really enjoyed it, and will definitely come back to it, and will add it to my ever-growing list of albums to find for my vinyl collection.<br />
<br />
<b>Dad's Take:</b><br />
<br />
If you thought Joni Mitchell's <i>Blue </i>was personal, wait until you hear this.<br />
<br />
This album is just downright shy. Nick Drake went into the studio after hours with nobody else but his engineer and recorded it without the help of any other musicians. The benefit of this technique is that the record is completely bereft of any trendy contemporary production or musical influences. A guy with his guitar is pretty much always going to sound timeless, and so this album sounds as 2015 as it does 1972. Which is interesting, considering how much better known Drake is now than he ever was when he was alive.<br />
<br />
Each song is beautiful, with poetic (if sometimes hard to understand) lyrics and gorgeous guitar playing with interesting tunings. Because of the stripped-down recording technique, each song blends with the others, making it difficult for a reviewer to single out individual tracks, but creating a 28-minute musical painting that gets richer each time you examine it.<br />
<br />
Drake's life was, by all accounts, pure torture, but I'm glad he had the strength to share his work. Pity that this remarkable artist died without ever knowing how beloved
his music would become, and how much he would influence songwriters for
several decades to come. <br />
Bradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04514903665519591838noreply@blogger.com0